Qaṣr ed-Dāchla - Qaṣr ed-Dāchla

Qasr ed-Dachla (also Qasr el-Dachla, Qasr el-Dakhla, Qasr Dachla, Qasr Dakhla, Arabic:قصر الداخلة‎, Qaṣr ad-Dāchla, spoken: Gaṣr id-Dāchla, Aṣr id-Dāchla), short el-Qaṣr (Arabic:القصر), Is a village in the northwest of the egyptian Sink ed-Dāchla in the governorate New valley. In the north of the village are the most important remains of a fortress-like Islamic old town in the Western desert. Visiting this settlement is one of the highlights of a visit to this valley.

background

El-Qaṣr is located in the northwest of the valley ed-Dāchla on the north side of the trunk road el-Farafra. The settlement is approximately 31 kilometers from Courage away. In the north of the village is the old village center, which was inhabited until the 1980s and today serves as a museum village. Since that time this settlement is by the Egyptian Antiquities Service researched and restored. Since 2002, the Egyptians have been through the Qasr Dakhleh Project (QDP) under the direction of Fred Leemhuis from the University of Groningen. The QDP is mainly active in the Schihabīya district, in which several residential buildings (Beit el-Qāḍī (1702), Beit el-Quraischī, Beit el-ʿUthman, Beit Abū Yaḥya) and the old mosque are being examined, restored and supplied with electrical connections ( the preliminary reports of the QDP are available on the Internet, see under web links). Since this settlement is to be preserved, there are only a few places where you can dig deep to find out more about the prehistory.

The Islamic settlement was on or within a Roman fort (Fortress) created. It cannot be ruled out that the fortress was built in Ptolemaic (Greek) times. Parts of the walls of this fort were discovered in 2006 by scientists from the QDP. These walls in the area of ​​the old Schihabīya quarter mosque were six meters wide and five meters high. Semi-circular towers were part of the wall. The building material for the later settlement was also extracted from the fortress wall. Even if postulated occasionally, no traces of an earlier Coptic-Christian settlement have been found so far. So far there are no signs of a Roman temple either. The relief blocks of a Thoth temple that can be found in el-Qaṣr, which are mostly built into door frames, come from Amḥeidawhich is 3.5 kilometers southwest of el-Qaṣr.

in the 11th century reported the Arab-Spanish historian el-Bakrī (1014-1094) about sources in three settlements in the Dāchla depression: el-Qaṣr, el-Qalamun and el-QaṣabaAbout el-Qa Qr he wrote:^[1]

“The inner oasis [also ed-Dāchla] has a lot of streams, fortress-like settlements and a large population. One of these fortress-like settlements, called el-Qaṣr, "the fortress", is in the middle [of a pond that is fed] by a very rich spring. The water leaves the water basin through channels that are divided into several branches and used to irrigate the cultivated land, the date palms and the fruit trees. "

The Egyptian historian Ibn Duqmāq (1349–1407) named in his list of 24 villages in the depression el-Qaṣr and stated that there were hot springs and a bath here.^[2]

Not just the fabric of the building, that too written legacies such as lintel beams and documents of this place are among the oldest found in the valley. The oldest door bar, located at Beit Ibrāhīm, bears a Kufic inscription with the year 924 AH (1518) and is the oldest post-antique document in the whole valley.^[3] These beams and the following documents prove that this settlement flourished in the 16th century, which at that time already had an urban character.

The Qasr Dakhleh Project also produced numerous handwritten texts and inscribed shards of stone (ostraka) from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Most of the fonts are from the 17th and 18th centuries. Century. Many documents are legal documents that regulate the sale or lease of land or trees and water rights, lease payments from the harvest, family matters (settlement of debts and liabilities, marriages, inheritance, guardianship) and financial matters (taxes, bills). The oldest legal deed is a deed of foundation, waqfīya, from 1579 (987 AH) with a length of over one meter. The most recent text is from 1937. The finds also included basketry and ceramics. The pottery came from both Roman, Mameluk and early Ottoman times. The items included water jugs, vats, bottles and jugs.

The German ethnologist Frank Bliss noted that to be the first Residents the Quraīschīya clan, which is documented here above the mentioned lintel beam from 1518, belonged out Mecca and lived in the east of the village. The Khalaf-Allāh clan from the Hejaz settled in the west, the Dīnārīya from the western Nile valley near el-Gīza in the north and the Shurafa in the south. Other clans such as the er-Radwān did not settle until after 1800.

Several have toured since the beginning of the 19th century Europeans the sink. Even if their focus was mainly on the ancient sites, they also left some information about the village. The Briton Archibald Edmonstone (1795–1871)^[4], who visited the valley in 1819, found gardens and sulphurous springs in el-Qaṣr. From the Italian Bernardino Drovetti (1776–1852)^[5]who stayed in el-Qaṣr that same year, and from the French Frédéric Cailliaud (1787–1869)^[6], who visited the oasis in the following year, the number of inhabitants comes from 2,000. El-Qaṣr thus comprised the majority of the 5,000 souls in the oasis. For the year 1825 the British gave John Gardner Wilkinson (1797–1875) stated that there were 1250–1500 male residents in the village and that the Quraīschīya clan had lived here for 400 years.^[7] His compatriot George Alexander Hoskins (1802–1863), who stayed here in 1832, noted that the only special thing about the city was its sulfur and iron springs.^[8]

He knew a lot more German Africa explorer Gerhard Rohlfs (1831-1896) to report. During his visit in 1873 he insisted on simply walking through the city. Among other things, he wanted to get to know the craftsmen. Several trades were based in the city. The tradition stayed in the family and the craft was inherited through the male line:

“In order to get to know these crafts and their facilities, we went on a tour of the city one day, accompanied by the mayor, the Medicinalrath and various other personalities who racked their brains for free about the reasons why we unite the shoemaker or the turner Wanted to visit. In addition to these, there were also carpenters, several millers (there are three large ox-driven mills in the village), two blacksmiths, an arms and a smith, and finally a distiller who dealt with bad dates in bad retorts To manufacture schnapps. And yet he did good business, among others the mayor was a good customer of him. There are no tailors because most of the clothes come ready-made from the Nile valley, or the poorer people make them themselves. A very ingenious machine is used to clean the cotton, which work is done by women on the street. The cotton was pulled through two rollers and thus freed from the capsules. "^[9]

The city was reported to have a population of 6,000 including three neighboring settlements (Barbayah, Aftimeh, Sekrīeh). In and near the city there were several warm iron and sulphurous springs whose approx. 100 meter deep wells produced 33–38 ° C warm water, which was led into a basin. The water was kept in clay jugs for drinking. The water was drinkable when cold. One of the most important personalities was Hassan Effendi, once a farmer in the Nile Valley and later a servant to the French mining engineer Lefèvre, who had built 60 new wells here in Dāchla. Rohlfs found that the city was well built. But the streets were narrow, crooked, built over and then dark and full of rubbish. Some houses had four floors. Four mosques and one Zāwiya belonged to the village Sanūsī brotherhood.

The photographs of Philipp Remelé (1844–1883), participants in Rohlfs' expedition, show general views, the surrounding wall of the village, details of various houses, the Naṣr-ed-Dīn mosque and its minaret.

British cartographer Hugh John Llewellyn Beadnell (1874–1944) gave a population of 3,758 for 1897.^[10] In 2006, 4,474 residents lived here.^[11]

getting there

The village and the archaeological site can be reached via the main road from ed-Dāchla to el-Farafra. From Mūṭ you can also reach the village by minibus from the mosque square there. The bus costs LE 2 (as of 3/2008).

There is no collection point for minibuses in the village. The operator of the El-Qasr Resthouse, Homda, helps with booking a taxi.

mobility

The streets in the village are partly paved. The old town can only be explored on foot.

Tourist Attractions

Old city of el-Qaṣr

The old town of Qaṣr ed-Dāchla is accessible daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the entrance fee is LE 40, for foreign students LE 20 (as of 11/2019). The Qaṣr ed-Dāchla complex also includes a small ethnographic museum.

The visit to the old village center begins in the area of ​​the Naṣr-ed-Dīn mosque. Here you can clearly see the surrounding wall used for fortification.

The first goal is that 25.69882328.8831611 Naṣr-ed-Dīn Mosque(25 ° 41 ′ 56 ″ N.28 ° 53 ′ 0 ″ E). But only the Naṣr-ed-Dīn minaret (Arabic:مئذنة نصر الدين‎, Miʾḏana Naṣr ad-Dīn) dates from the Ayyubid period (11th / 12th centuries). The 21 meter high minaret was built from adobe bricks and consists of three floors. The protruding wooden beams indicate that the minaret once had two encircling wooden galleries. The wooden end at the top has been lost. In principle, it is possible to climb the minaret. The associated mosque was destroyed and replaced by the current new building in the 19th century. It consists of the actual prayer room with a prayer niche and pulpit as well as the mausoleum for Naṣr ed-Dīn, which has a dome. On the walls of the mausoleum there is a brown band of inscriptions with verses from the Koran, but also another prayer niche.

Now the actual village tour begins through the narrow streets, which are built over in places. The Houses, which can have up to four storeys, were built from air-dried mud bricks and plastered. You have a roof terrace with a railing made of bricks or palm leaves. The windows are small, often left open, but also decorated with wooden trunks, window crosses or brick decorations. The entrance was closed with a wooden door. In many cases, the upper end is formed by a door lintel. All of these beams are made of acacia wood. They are labeled in Arabic, have ornaments at their ends and were attached with iron nails. The written forms are either kufic, the ottoman Nas.chī or the decorative one Thuluth. The inscriptions give the names of the homeowners, builders and joiners and the date of construction. The oldest bar dates from 1518. Above the door there is often a semicircle decorated with bricks. Sometimes different colored bricks are used for this. The ceilings of the rooms were made of halved palm trunks, which were connected with palm branches. The top received a clay screed.

One of the first houses is the Council Chamber. It stands out because of its entrance. The right post is made of limestone blocks bearing Pharaonic hieroglyphics. They come from the Roman Thoth temple Amḥeida. Of course, this door also has a decorative lintel beam. The single leaf door is solid and nailed. The guards can of course open this door. Behind it is a large hall with stone benches on the sides. The walls have decorations in the form of windows.

The next imposing building is the Qaṣr Madrasa. The two-story building was made of adobe bricks. Originally, the building probably formed a school in the tradition of the Ayyubid Islamic schools and had the only classroom in the Iwan. But there is also the idea that the building could have been part of an Ottoman palace used for entertainment and pleasure. In later times the building was used as a courtroom. In several places there are archways with multi-colored bricks.

In the following one meets several Craft businesses. This includes a grain mill, an oil mill, a kiln and a pottery. Museum employees still work in the forge and pottery today.

There is another one in the Schihabīya district old mosquewhich is located in the southeast corner of the ancient fort. It has an enclosure wall and a courtyard to the south and east. The last time in 1717 (1129 AH) renovated mosque is oriented towards Mecca and has two rows with three columns and a simple prayer niche. The minaret, which is no longer fully preserved, has an approximately square lower part on which the round upper part is located.

Ethnographic Museum

The open-air museum also includes an ethnographic museum, which is located in the house of esch-Sharif Ahmed from the Ottoman period (1679/1680, 1090 AH) was housed. It is headed by Ms. Aliya Hussein. Admission costs LE 5. In various rooms, various aspects of oasis life are presented using exhibits, models and numerous photos. If you have the time, you should still visit the more extensive ethnographic museum in Courage visit.

graveyards

In the northeast of the old town there is a 25.70189528.8854122 graveyard(25 ° 42 ′ 7 ″ N.28 ° 53 ′ 7 ″ E) with several sheik tombs. The Islamic domed tombs were built from adobe bricks and plastered with clay. Inside is visible only the cenotaph, i.e. a mock grave, above the actual burial.

shop

In the area of ​​the Qaṣr Madrasa, handicrafts are sold as souvenirs.

kitchen

• 25.69486228.8824751  El-Qasr Tourist Resthouse. Tel.: 20 (0)92 286 7013. The rest stop is located directly on the north side of the street and has a garden behind the house. Advance booking is recommended. The operator, Homda, also helps with booking a taxi. Bicycle rental costs LE 5 per day. Offers camel tours by day or day and night for LE 80 or LE 120 and tours by minibus at LE 150 per day (as of 9/2012).(25 ° 41 ′ 42 ″ N.28 ° 52 '57 "E.)last change: not specified

accommodation

Hotels

• 25.70260828.8811011  Hotel Desert Lodge (‏فندق ديزرت لودج‎, Funduq Dīzirt Lūdǧ). Tel.: 20 (0)92 272 7062, (0)2 2690 5240 (Cairo), Email: [email protected]. Located on a hill north of the village of Qaṣr ed-Dāchla, run by Egyptian-Swiss management, the 2-star hotel is operated according to ecological standards and is one of the most attractive hotels in the valley ed-Dachla and in New valley. The buildings were built from limestone blocks and burnt bricks and plastered with clay. The prices per room and half board are in the low season (June - August) / normal season (rest of the year without high season) / high season (Easter, New Year) in a single room $ 70/85/100, in a double room $ 60/75/90 per person , in a triple room $ 50/70/85 per person (as of 8/2011). The surcharge for lunch is $ 12. The hotel can also contact the Swiss travel agency Sina Orient Tours get booked. The hotel was closed in March 2016 due to fire regulations..(25 ° 42 ′ 9 ″ N.28 ° 52 '52 "E)last change: not specified
• 25.70032928.9116252  Badawiya Dakhla Hotel, El Qasr Valley, Dakhla (north of the village of el-Giza, east of el-Qaṣr). Tel.: 20 (0)92 272 7451, (0)92 272 7452, Fax: 20 (0)92 272 7453, Email: [email protected]. The hotel, which was completed in 2008 and built on a hill not far from the main road, has 50 rooms, a large hall that can be used as a conference room, and a pool. Overnight stay with breakfast from € 60.(25 ° 42 ′ 1 ″ N.28 ° 54 '42 "E)last change: not specified

• In the above El-Qasr Tourist Resthouse there is also a few triple rooms with shared bathroom facilities. The room costs LE 15 or LE 20 per person with or without breakfast. For lunch and dinner you pay LE 15 (soup, chicken or meat, as of 9/2012).

Further accommodation options are available in courage or on the trunk road to get there.

The Beer El Gabal Camp is under Biʾr el-Gebel listed. It is located north of the village of el-Gīza.

trips

It is advisable to visit el-Qaṣr with Deir el-Ḥagar and Qārat el-Muzawwaqa connect to.

literature

• Rohlfs, Gerhard: Three months in the Libyan desert. Cassel: Fisherman, 1875, Pp. 120–123, table 6 opposite p. 110, table 8 opposite p. 118, table 10 opposite p. 122. Reprinted in Cologne: Heinrich-Barth-Institut, 1996, ISBN 978-3-927688-10-0 .
• Bliss, Frank: Economic and social change in the “New Valley” of Egypt: on the effects of Egyptian regional development policy in the oases of the western desert. Bonn: Political working group for schools, 1989, Contributions to cultural studies; 12th, ISBN 978-3921876145 , Pp. 13, 103-105.
• Henein, Nessim Henry: Poterie et potiers d'Al-Qasr: Oasis de Dakhla. Le Caire: Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, 1997, Bibliothèque d'étude; 116, ISBN 978-2724702026 . Pottery in el-Qasr.
• Museum Schloss Schönebeck (Ed.): Photographs from the Libyan desert: an expedition by the Africa explorer Gerhard Rohlfs in 1873/74, photographed by Philipp Remelé. Bremen: Ed. Temmen, 2002, ISBN 978-3861087915 , Pp. 47-51, 53-55.

Web links

• Dakhleh Oasis Project. At the bottom of the page there are links to the excavation reports from the Qasr Dakhleh Project.
• Jobbins, Jenny: Surface evidence (Archived version of March 28, 2006 in the Internet Archive archive.org), Report on the Qasr Dakhleh Project in the Al-Ahram Weekly dated March 23, 2006.

Individual evidence